The Irish standard., 1887-12-31

lshaye been my weddin' day, but please
God nv weddin' will never be with
him that stands yonder.'
/ AS she spoke the girl pointed her
| finger, straight and impressive at the
young Squireen. who stood in the CEN
tire of the room, much annoyed by the
untoward circumstance which had put
an end to the marriage.
'Aileen,' said Father Curran, very
gravely, Il allow for the excited state
of yeur feelings, but must say that
your language extraordinary not to say
improper
| Listen to me. Father Curran,' con-
tinued Aileen, there's no excitement
on me now, and want to ask you, did
you thl:4k 1T was to please myself or of
my own free will that was goin' to
marry him yonder?'
/ Father Curran made no reply. He
knew not whatto think.
Hear me farther, your Reverence,
and YOU COO. kind neighbors,' went on
Alleen, for it's right that ye should
know whv decent girl should break
a troth-piight. When first he, there,
came coortin' he was civil and sweet,
sure enough. But when he seen that
I'd have nothin' to say to him, he
threatened to put us out of our holdin'.
and to save her poor ould heart from
bein' broke l gave him my PROMISE
The girls swift gesture towards the
calm figure of the dead woman, added
| pathos to her words, and her recital
was broken in upon by groans and
tears.
It promised TO marry him, Ai}een
went on, tand to go away to England
with him. He said he'd bring me back
again in the Fall Of the year, in nean-
time granny was to be here. quiet and
peaceful, with Bridget Callahan, a
cousin Of my own, and he was to make
repairs here, and to keep her in comfort.
oh granny, granny, it was all for your
sake was do1n' it, and there you are,
cold and stiff, and I'm alone in the
wide world
| Her wild burst of grief melted every
heart Father Curran couldn't bring
himself to speak the reproachful werds
that rose TO his lips for he saw in the
poor girl's action, ill-judged as it had
been. so much of heroism, that,
coupled with her present grief, it soft
ened his steiner judgement. But the
Squireen, stepping forward with g.
sneer and a. stowl on his heavy though
handsome face, said in supercilious
way:
All very fine and quite melodramatic,
but am to understand-'
Understand tbis,' said Aileen, con-
fronting him and looking into his FACE,
her head proudly erect, her cheeks pale
as death, that while there's the breath
or life in nay BODY, you'll never put a
ring Oh Aileen O'Connor's hand. I'd
sooner die thousand deaths. You
said once that if I didn't give you my
promise, you'd leave her 70 rot by the
roadside. Well, she's beyond your
malice now, and a raerciful God saved
me from the fate that nebbe il, rashness
| chose for myself. Had I married y ou,
you'd never have had cause OF com
| p|aint agin me, mark that we'll. But
| now that she'e gone. bid you go, for
I'd rather rot bv this wayside than be
your wife,
| The Squireen, seeing that there was
! nothing to be gained by delay, and shat
some OF the meu in the crowd began to
look threatening, skunk away with
a muttered curse, and a threat OF ven
geance. While Aileen, throwing her
self on her knees and addressing tue
priest, cried: ..
sOh Father Curran, dear. don't say
was wrong entirely. Don't now and
God bless you. couldn't see her put
out on the roadside TO die, and now that
SHE'S gone, 1 couldn't keep my promise
to the squireen, indeeG, couldn't
| When leafy June came again, with the
| fox glove and the meadow-sweet in the
lanes and tbs fields, and robin O. the
hedge twiuing in and out among the
hedgerows, Aileen OConnor was to be
married, with the blessing and approval
Of her self constituted guardian.
| Father Curran, to a fine handsome
boy as the priest expressed it, from The
neighboring county OF Lonth. Father
Curran was in great glee about it, the
ulore SO that he had as the neighbors
said. made the match. So that Ai|een's
self sacrifice was rewarded, Though,
indeed, She had heard many a time from
the lips OF Fathac Curran some such
hOmily as:
THAT was bad business, Aileen. IT
the granny hadn't died, you'd have
gone to the altar with lie on your lips,
and who can tell what would have
come of it. Oh, why didn't you speak
to- me before taking any such STEP
But Ai'een's heart sang with the
h;r1o ca 1irht oud iovO,1s was IT, when